Fists and Tricks
by bofoddity
Summary: Shampoo wants to spar. Akane is suspicious. Shampoo/Akane.


**Disclaimer:** Ranma ½ isn't mine.

When Shampoo's lower lip starts to tremble, Akane almost regrets being so harsh. But she hasn't forgotten how Shampoo tried to brainwash her into forgetting Ranma, or Shampoo's other less than clean tricks to get Ranma all for herself. Akane has all the right to be suspicious of Shampoo and wonder how sincere her request for a sparring session really is.

"How can you ask Shampoo that? Of course Shampoo isn't up to any tricks!" Shampoo rests her hands on her hips and huffs loud in contempt, as if she's never been devious in her life. Akane almost rolls her eyes at that, and in the meanwhile Shampoo continues: "All Shampoo is someone to hone her skills with!" Shampoo pauses, her impossibly neat eyebrows furrowing with speculation. "Don't you want to spar with a girl?"

What Akane should be doing is walk away without a glance back (yet ready for possible attacks; a necessary state when it comes to dealing with her many enemies), but instead she hesitates. Akane has never really had a sparring partner; all she had was endless streams of boys attacking her on her way to school, and her father back when he taught her the basics of battle. The only times she ever spars with Ranma is when they're fighting, and while she is used to practicing alone, that doesn't mean she likes it. Too late it occurs to her that her hesitation has given Shampoo plenty of time to see past her defenses, which Shampoo confirms by saying:

"A true woman is fine on her own, but sometimes she needs company of her kind, yes?" Shampoo smiles, slowly like she needs time to find just the perfect curve for her lips; and maybe she did, because the smile Akane sees on her lips makes Akane's blood rush faster in her veins, her cheeks turn red.

"Yes or no?" Shampoo asks, and she has the perfect voice now too; the sweet, predatory purr of a cat. Her heartbeat growing intense and fast, Akane nods.

It goes well in the beginning; too well, Akane realizes, everything inside her lighting with rage. She knows - as much as her pride begs her to deny it - that Shampoo is stronger than her, but it's nevertheless humiliating to realize that Shampoo is holding back, careful not to hurt her. Akane knows it means that Shampoo may have been sincere after all about just wanting to spar, but Akane doesn't care about that anymore. Weaker or not, the least she deserves is to be treated like an equal!

"Don't do that!" she shouts as Shampoo throws a ridiculously futile punch at her, Shampoo's fist passing her cheek so closely that Akane can feel it brushing by, so gentle that it doesn't deserve to be called a fist. "Fight me like you'd fight Ranma!"

This smile Akane recognizes immediately: it's the fast, sly one that rises whenever everything has gone exactly as Shampoo has wished. "Very well."

After that Akane discovers that it wasn't gentleness she sensed behind Shampoo's strikes, but politeness; Akane holds her own for a while, but in the end Shampoo has her pinned to the ground, snatching her wrists in a grip that is secure as a lock, but not violent. Her thighs are trapped between Shampoo's deceptively slender legs, Shampoo's weight settling into her lap like it belongs there. Akane squirms, telling herself that it's not impossible for her to break free; as Ranma and Shampoo both like to point out, Akane is the sturdy one. But Shampoo remains where she is, and finally Akane gives up.

"Okay," Akane says, with her meekest voice; she hopes it's enough to please Shampoo's ego enough to distract her while she comes up with an escape plan. "You got me. What are you going to do now?"

Akane expects one of the classic Shampoo tricks - a potion poured down her throat, another memory-loosening hair-wash - but instead Shampoo gives her the slow smile again as she settles down on top of Akane, molding her comic book perfect body against Akane's until they're connected from bosom to thigh. The sheer warmth of the other girl against her is almost devastating, and Akane finds herself holding her breaths, and losing them in awed gasps. Shampoo looks down at her, lips pursing with thought, and Akane has to swallow.

"Akane must know," Shampoo says, and reaches down with her free hand to set it around the one holding Akane's wrists, and in a few blinks there is one wrist of Akane's in each of Shampoo's hands, and neither hand is holding the wrist very hard. Her chance has come, and yet Akane doesn't try to break free, doesn't even move, instead waiting for Shampoo's next words. Shampoo takes her time in simply looking at Akane with her diamond-hard eyes before finally leaning in, her sweat-spiced scent filling all of Akane's senses.

"That when an Amazon wins, she has the right to all the spoils there are to take."

Akane has no delusions about what that means, but when Shampoo closes in for a kiss, she purses her lips to make them a little fuller and waits.


End file.
